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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Youth and the Age of the Earth

I am concerned about our youth. Nothing is new under the sun in principle; older folks have always expressed godly worry for young people. The book of Proverbs tells us

about the advice a concerned father gave his son for his spiritual welfare, which is still relevant (1-7). Paul warned his young protege to “flee youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22).

Satan has always used tools to draw people away from God. Currently, one of his major tools is the teaching of evolution. Every media from school textbooks to nature programs promote the idea that the age of the earth is 4.5 to 5 billion years old, and that mankind evolved between 6 to 2 million years ago (http://humanorigins.si.edu/ education/introduction-human-evolution).

A few years ago, I was teaching sixth grade students my series Reasoning to Believe. Though I had carefully taught the biblical view of creation and logical reasons for the young age of the earth, I was surprised that one of the brightest kids in the class was sure that the earth was 5 billion years old. This is what he had learned from school and other sources. Seeds of unbelief were already planted.

Our Bible classes need to include the investigation of when human beings arrived upon the earth, the age of our planet, and the Bible. One may ask why study these topics in a Bible class. Aren’t those only subjects for science? Well, it is a biblical topic, for the Bible does indicate something about the age of the earth and human beings.

The book titled Already Gone by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer includes surveys showing that many young adults who lost their faith began having doubts in the early grades when they were first exposed to evolutionary teaching about the age of the earth. What better weapon does Satan have than destroying confidence in the Bible’s first chapter as the historical record of creation?

I am not naive enough to believe that the only reason young people, or old, leave God is their lack of confidence in the Bible, or belief in evolution. Life is more complex than that. But it is definitely a significant factor.

John Clayton who lectures about the existence of God and his conversion from atheism, made this statement,

"A scientist who is commenting on religion needs to be treated very skeptically, and a religious figure who is explaining science needs to be treated in the same way. ... We cannot minimize the conflict between science and faith as long as we listen to extremists on both sides who have an agenda and explain things which they know very little about” (cf.http://www.doesgodexist.org/JulAug10/Polarization-Worsens.html).

In the first place there is no conflict between the Bible and true science. In his article, the brother insinuates that homeschooling parents are not qualified to teach science. This man is a theistic evolutionist, though he dislikes the label. However, he is quoted, “A cursory look at the issues in evolution will make it clear that evolution itself does not exclude a concept of an external monitoring agent (God)” (http://www.doesgodexist.org/

JanFeb14/ScienceAndFaith.EnemiesOrFriends.html).

Atheistic evolutionists believe that given enough time, the impossible can become possible. With enough time, they are convinced that a big bang can bring a universe into existence accidentally, and that life can spontaneously generate. It is a simple math equation to answer those ideas. What is 0x0 or 0+0? If there was ever a time when nothing existed, what would there be now? Sadly when one is so committed to “proving” his pre-determined idea, nonsense will be marketed as sensible.

The late professor of the University of Hawaii, Victor Stenger, in a magazine article, Was the Universe Created? (Free Inquiry. 1987, Summer, Vol. 7, No. 3), wrote:

“. . .[T]he universe is probably the result of a random quantum fluctuation in a spaceless, timeless void. . . the earth and humanity are not conscious creations but an accident. . . it is not sufficient merely to say, ‘you can’t get something from nothing.’ While everyday experience and common sense seem to support this principle, if there is anything that we have learned from twentieth-century physics, it is this: Common sense is often wrong, and our normal experiences are but a tiny fraction of reality.”

Poor Victor! He believed that 0x0 equals something!

What shall we do? I want to make this point so very clear. You do not need to have a PhD to figure out whether true science reveals an earth age of 4-5 billion years, and whether humans evolved around 3 million years ago. You do not have to answer every complicated argument that is made, to prove that the theory of an “aged earth” is untrue. But what you do need to do, is to know the questions, and where the answers are. There are links and recommended books listed below.

(Disclaimer: I do not endorse all of the doctrines of Ken Hamm and his associates. The recommended book has valuable information and surveys.(Picture copyright: <ahref='http://www.123rf.com/profile_fotomandm'>fotomandm / 123RF Stock Photo</a>)

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Hebrews 6:18b-19

"...we may have encouragement who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us: which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil."